Conventional techniques for making metal halide compounds usually involve synthesis either in an aqueous medium that often gives the product as a hydrate, or, when the halogen is chloride, chlorination of the pure metal at 700–1000° C. with chlorine gas. In the case of MnCl2 synthesis, the starting material that is reacted with HCl(aqueous) is usually the pure manganese metal, oxide, hydroxide, or carbonate. If subsequent use of the metal halide involves application of a moisture sensitive reducing agent such as an alkali, or alkaline earth metal, or their respective alkyl derivatives, then the metal halide starting material has to be completely water free. This means the metal halide has to be separated both from the aqueous solvent, and from any water of hydration. In the case of MnCl2, the product is filtered from the aqueous media to give the solid tetrahydrate MnCl2.4H2O. This tetrahydrate is then first dried in a rotary drier below its melting point of 58° C. to remove solvent, then the temperature is increased to above 200° C. to dehydrate the solid to the anhydrous MnCl2. This heating is an energy intensive step that significantly increases the cost and decreases the economic efficiency in the formation of manganese chloride and other metal halides.